Sudan’s Descent into Violence Must Not Be Ignored

On March 8, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Sudan during the holy month of Ramadan. It also urged all parties to the conflict to ensure the rapid and safe delivery of humanitarian assistance and to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law, including to protect civilians.

The violent conflict, which erupted last April following a standoff between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a powerful paramilitary group, has since engulfed more than half the country. Nearly a year later, the Security Council’s push for a ceasefire and the free flow of aid is an essential step forward, following increasingly urgent calls for an immediate halt to the fighting from the African Union and UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Now, policymakers must translate words into action.

The situation in Sudan is catastrophic. Half the population – 25 million people – are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. According to the UN World Food Programme, nearly 18 million people are facing acute hunger – more than double this time last year – and must make impossible decisions to feed themselves, while nearly five million (equivalent to the population of Ireland) are on the brink of famine. Since the conflict began, more than eight million people have been displaced. In December, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a determination that war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing were occurring in Sudan, evoking ominous echoes of the Darfur genocide.

Given these conditions, it comes as no surprise that Sudan topped the International Rescue Committee’s Emergency Watchlist for 2024. The conflict has devastated agricultural production, while the weaponization of humanitarian aid has restricted the flow of food and medicine to the country. Moreover, the near-total destruction of the health-care system has led to the spread of preventable diseases, while the banking system’s paralysis has triggered economic collapse.

More than a half-million displaced people have sought refuge in South Sudan, itself one of the world’s poorest countries. On a recent visit, I heard heartbreaking stories from Sudanese refugees. Asma, a mother of two, traveled more than 400 miles from the capital, Khartoum, with her children, who were set to start university last year. She left because, confronted with increased fighting, she “didn’t have a choice.” Maban, the border county where I met Asma, is hosting 220,000 displaced people – more